Turkey working for Iran to secure Iranian hostages in Syria

Turkey is working closely on behalf of Iran to secure the release of 48 Iranian hostages being held by Syrian opposition forces, Turkish daily Today's Zaman, citing a senior Turkish official, reported Monday.

According to the report, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi called on Turkey to provide assistance to secure the captives, who were seized by Syrian rebels on suspicion of being Iranian military personnel.

The official cautioned that the identities of the hostages remain unclear and therefore Turkey's involvement raises questions: “Iran calls these hostages pilgrims, whereas the opposition forces call them Revolutionary Guards. Turkey should be treading carefully here,” the source said.